CROWS ZERO 3 Movie Review

Title: CROWS ZERO EXPLODE

AKA: CROWS ZERO 3

Genre: Action, Delinquents, School

Origin: Japan

Release Date: April 12, 2014

Cast: Higashide Masahiro, Saotome Taichi, Katsuji Ryo, Nagayama Kento and Yagira Yuya.

This movie is a sequel to CROWS ZERO 2, and the third movie in the series.

Kaburagi Kazeo (Masahiro Higashide) is a new transfer student at Suzuran High School. As he arrives he witness’ a fight between the current TOP Goura Toru (Yagira Yura) and another student. The fight is interrupted by Kagami Ryohei (Saotome Taichi) who arrogantly announces he will be the TOP. While commotion is going on, Kazeo refuses to fight but knocks out a student whose attacking him, with a single punch.

Former mobster Katagiri Ken (Yabe Kyosuke) encounters Makise Takashi (Takahashi Tsutomu) and while the two converse Makise offers Ken to work at the mechanics shop with him. It is soon revealed that Ken used to work for Ryohei’s father, who was the head of the gang, and had helped take care of Ryohei when he was little.

Due to issues at home, and some bad influence by drop-out from other schools, Ryohei decides to rein havoc at both schools, and Ken’s new gig. At the same time, Kazeo is refusing to fight, even though he might be the strongest amongst the students…

I gotta apologize for the summary, I really tried not to spoil, but it is very hard to explain this movie.

If I were to compare the movie with the other two I have to say it’s not as good, and I honestly can’t blame it on the cast. This movie is bad because of the story. Very little focus is used on the relationships between the characters, and they used way too much time on Makise and Ken. I know that they tried to give a bit back to the fans of the series, but with an entire new cast, I kind of felt that I never really got to know the new characters. It is hard to trump the originals I agree, but they didn’t give them much space to grow tbh.

Though the layout of the school was much better, and the quality of the surrounding was better - but still isn’t good of the overall doesn’t work. I mean they did try to go all out, but the ended up having too much.

On the other note, I admit it was refreshing having a new cast, and new storylines. I like that it was much ‘lighter’ as in actually being able to see the scenes - for example: the mob and the bars, which were so dark before… I guess the got a new scenographer… Or whatever it’s called…

All in all, okay movie, but not close to the originals.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Sayonara, Ozu Sensei Review

Title: Sayonara, Ozu Sensei

AKA: Goodbye Teacher Ozu / Goodbye Ozu Sensei / Farewell Ozu Sensei

Genre: School, Sports, Comedy

Episodes: 11 + SP

Broadcast period: 2001-Oct to 2001-Dec

Cast: Tamura Masakazu, Yusuke Santamaria, Seito Asaka, Moriyama Mirai, Waki Tomohira, Katsuji Ryo, Eita, Oshinari Shugo and Nishida Naomi.

Ozu Nanpei (Tamura Masakazu) is a successful tycoon working at Wall Street, right until he is made scapegoat for a dirty deal and is jailed. When he released he is told he is fired, so he decides to go back in order to get his position back. Arriving in Japan, he is refused his position, and his wife sues him for divorce, ending up in a hotel without job and house. Completely distressed and not having more money to life off, Ozu takes on a teaching position at a High School. Not really interested in the students or able to understand how the kids have become a bunch of rude and unambitious brats. That all changes when he finds out that there is a basketball team in the school. Having loved basketball in his younger age, he decides to coach the group. But they aren’t what you would call “good”: a group of outcasts that have been dismissed from their other schools.

I can’t even explain the joy I felt when I saw that this drama was out there, and I hadn’t watched it. I’m seriously so biased when it comes to school dramas, especially when it’s about a group of outcasts and a passionate/honest teacher. The drama in general is good, though the main actor seriously uses adlib which makes his performance genuine yet kind of different since I have never seen a Japanese actor do that. What that kind of performance does makes you that everyone else is overacting, but then again you do get used to it pretty fast. Overall the story is much more honest than the usual fiction story since the elements of ridiculousness is limited - though the teachers drink just a bit too much for my taste.

All in all an okay watch.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out  of 5 hearts